Back in November, my husband and I went to Jamaica — including airfare and meals — for free.

That line is not a joke, or even a tease.

Let me explain.

I've always been a saver – a serious saver. When I got my first official, government-recognized job, I didn't cash a single paycheck for four months. Finally, the woman who handled accounting asked what was happening to my checks. My theory was that money was not meant to be spent (I babysat and dog sat for "fun" money).

My grocery cashier money was to be saved for my first car — something I wanted to buy by the time I got my license. That saving mentality has extended to adulthood. Although, since I no longer take side jobs, I had to create a new "side" for fun money.

Today it's in the form of credit card points. What used to be a Travelocity card is now ThankYou from CitiCard. I've been a member for more than a decade, purchasing everything from 49-cent ice cream cones at McDonald's to a John Deere tractor on that card.

I pay it off in full every month and accumulate 1.25 points per dollar spent. The points can be used for merchandise, gift cards or travel.

This was the first time we used them for travel.

In November, we flew out of Albany on our chosen, no-real-restrictions flight on the airline we use most often and were able to collect frequent flyer miles as a result. While booking online didn't offer as many options, a quick call to the credit card company's designated ThankYou line scored me two round-trip tickets (worth about $1,000 at the time) in fewer than 10 minutes. It cost 100,000 points, which I'd accumulated over about two and a half years.

We did have to pay to check our baggage, but only took one suitcase. The car rental could also be done via the CitiCard ThankYou points.

Then there was the trip itself. We went to Braco Beach in Runaway Bay Jamaica. The all-inclusive resort had condo-style living with beach or garden-view units, a plethora of restaurants (drinks were also included), multiple pools and Jacuzzis and a host of beach and on-site activities.

The total on our bill when we checked out? $0.

I had "purchased" the trip through Groupon, one of the many deal-of-the-day websites, using the "Groupon Bucks" accumulated over the years of sharing the discount site to friends and family. Basically, every time you recommend Groupon to a new customer, and he or she buys a Groupon, you get $10 in Groupon Bucks. Those credits can then be redeemed, like cash, for anything on Groupon's site. I'd been recommending Groupon deals and getting bucks for it for about a year. The Braco Beach package is worth $960 but was available on Groupon for $575, and I covered the entire cost with the bucks I'd squirreled away.

Although some destinations on Groupon Getaways looked more upscale, or offered more amenities such as golf or spa treatments, we selected a location that fit our points "budget."

The whole thing seemed too good to be real, so I called and emailed leading up to our trip to confirm our reservation. They assured me we were set. I also printed out the Groupon, the guidelines and our confirmation number for check-in.

We didn't need any of it. We were greeted at the door with drinks and a cold washcloth and checked in like all the other travelers arriving on the property. I've heard deal-of-the-day users complain they aren't viewed as well as their paying counterparts, at times, but that wasn't the case at Braco Beach.

We were treated like guests whose business they value, including receiving an upgrade to a beach-view room.

We had the same access to reservations at the (included) a la carte restaurants (Japanese, French and Italian) as the other guests and the staff addressed the few concerns (not enough towels, broken light bulb) instantly.

Plus, the resort gave us a true taste of the island. The main dining area served familiar foods, such as chicken or rice, but they also had goat, kidney and a variety of fruits and vegetables native to their country.

They also had dozens of activities, both family friendly and adult-oriented, throughout the day, including a weekly beach party, scavenger hunts and dance lessons. And, because the resort is set up like its own little community, crafters and vendors are on site most days selling their goods.

If you want to leave the property, Ocho Rios is about 30 minutes away and an easy drive down one main road (although they do drive on the left side of the street). For people who don't want to bother with a car rental, a trolley regularly goes to and from town. Down in Ocho Rios, they have lots of shopping, Dolphin Cove, where you can swim with dolphins and stingrays, and Dunn's River Falls, a national park where visitors can climb a waterfall.

The climb is challenging but exhilarating, and a treat for anyone who likes nature and the outdoors.

The waiting and saving both the ThankYou points and the Groupon credits was worth it.

Five days and four nights in Jamaica for the cost of a baggage fee and a few bucks here and there for tips.